Paris: Troisième Partie

Expectancy was escalating as I was nearing the Eiffel Tower (the Holy Grail of this crusade). It may have been the years of seeing this world-famous landmark on the silver screen that fueled it; or it could quite possibly have been the factual and fictional stories that were perpendicularly, adjacently or tangentially related to this architectural and engineering wonder; or perhaps it might have been the months-long preparation for this Europe trip; or the combination of all these that raised my adrenalin levels to the maximum. It was supremely phenomenal.

After leaving the convenience store, I headed further up Avenue Poincaré and landed on the six-way roundabout of Place du Trocadéro, where my first sighting of the Tour Eiffel occurred. I had to stop for a few minutes to take some pictures (of course) and to just take in the view and the 'dream-come-true' moment of seeing the landmark with my own eyes. Everything from then on became a series of one breathtaking experience after another. The kid in me was floating on cloud nine.

Walking past the roundabout, I crossed the Avenue du Président Wilson to set foot on the grand entrance of the Palais de Chaillot, where an even more majestic view of the tower greeted me. The late afternoon drizzle that had me waiting by the bus stop earlier, had left the marbled courtyard of the museum entrance glistening like a still, small pond. The reflection of my tour's prize on the damp ground was a photography enthusiast's ideal picture waiting to be captured.

If I remember correctly, I think all this was happening around five in the afternoon. I remember the sun perfectly highlighting the Eiffel Tower, the rest of the Champ de Mars and the Trocadéro Gardens, making it look like a painting that popped out of its canvass and came to life. I remember the stunning panoramic vista of this portion of Paris that now sits foverer engraved in the travel section of my mind.

... to be continued ...